Just Friends
by worddancer
Summary: now becoming a collection of mostly unconnected one shots. many of them will be experiences I have had myself. Mostly just my brain exploring What If's. Most will be Puck and Rachel but some for other pairings.
1. Just Friends

**a/n So this isn't particular to any pair. its more of a reflexion of something i went through and did myself. minus the sex and getting pregnant part. i was thinking about the past the other day and this came to mind and i started typing. here was the ending result. Just needed to get it out of my head and on to a page and than decided i wanted some feed back so apply it to any pairing you want. i like to think its puck and rachel while puck is with lauran but thats just me. **

It wasn't cheating. They weren't doing anything. Just lying there watching a movie. Sure his arm was casually slung around her waist, holding her against him and maybe they did snuggle a little closer than one would expect. But it wasn't cheating. It was nothing they hadn't done before she left, before he got a girlfriend. It felt easy being together like this, like they had always been. But it wasn't cheating.

So than why did she feel like she should turn to face him?

_I can't be second fiddle. You can't wash her off of you and then hold me. _Her mind screamed at her to say her thoughts out loud. _This is us, this is easy but this was before. Before so many things. You have her now, you can't hold me and pretend that she doesn't exists, I can't._ The words played in her head but she lacked the courage to say them. _Why now? Why after months of almost no contact, months after I came back waiting for my best friend and getting nothing, why now?_

She angled her head to look up at his eyes.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing," She replied forcing the voice in her head to shut up, "Just thinking."

"About what?" He pressed.

"Does she know I'm here?"

"No, why?"

"Just wondering." She turned back again so her spine curved into his chest. His arm once again fell lazily over her, his fingers tracing slow patterns where her tank top rode up along her hip. Her skin shivered and the whisper of his touch, not the touch of a friend but the caress of a lover. She knew she should leave, or move his arm, or do something, but she didn't.

They're not cheating she told herself once again. They lay there together clinging like their sanity depended on it. She knew she should say something though.

"I'm not second fiddle." She whispered barely audible, turning to face him once again.

"What?" he asked confused.

"I can't play second fiddle." She repeated a bit louder. But before he asked another question she rolled to her original position and closed her eyes.

As his hand tightened around her waist drawing her closer to him she though she heard him whisper "I know" into her ear.

They weren't cheating; after all they were just friends.

After the first movie ended they put in a second, ignoring that it was late and they both had school the next morning. As the action movie reeled by on the screen they settled back to their chosen positions. His arm around her, possessive and protecting, her hands clutching his arm, holding and hoping. After the first half hour the sound of the movie fades to the back of her mind. It's been a long week for her and she's tired. Feeling more relaxed and secure than she felt in weeks she allows her body to slowly drift off to sleep.

A few hours later, long after the last words of the movie died away she wakes up again, still cradled in his arms. His breathing is soft and slow, his right arm tucked around her waist, his left netted in her hair that spread itself across the pillow. She wakes him up tells him she has to leave. The cool night air kisses the naked flesh of her arm as she lifts the blankets. Pausing at the door to grab her shoes she silently slips from the house as if she never entered to begin with.

It wasn't cheating. She told herself again the first time he kissed her. After all he only kissed her cheek, no matter his lips lingered a moment longer than the social norm, no matter that they embraced just a bit tighter than nessacary for two people; just friends after all.

Tuesday nights became their nights. They always met at his house for a movie. Sometimes it was early afternoon; they'd meet at fourish watch the movie and then eat supper together. Other times it was late, Tuesdays when one of them had to work. Than it would be sometime after nine when she'd enter the silent home to walk quietly down the stairs and into his room. She'd settle herself next to him and let him hold her, let herself be held. Sometimes he would pick the movie sometimes she would, it didn't matter. They'd watch what ever they played, sometimes slipping into the stillness of sleep, still holding each other. Than when the movie finished or when her phone alarm went off at one thirty she would lift the blankets, untangle her limbs and slip out of the house as silent as a ghost.

Friday nights he had date night. She never thought of _her _as his girlfriend, because than she might think of herself as the other woman. But she wasn't the other women, after all they weren't cheating. She many have questionable morals in a lot of things but not this. She never touched another woman's man and she never played second fiddle to anyone.

When he kissed her, really kissed her, she still told herself it wasn't cheating. But she began to avoid _them_ whenever _she_ was with him. It hurt to see _her_ on his arm. That was her spot, even if only on Tuesday nights. They didn't speak much when she came over on Tuesday's. They didn't need to, they just held on to each other tightly both avoiding the moment when she had to let go and leave once again.

The first time they had sex she still tried to deny they were cheating. It happened like everything happened for them, slow with the fire of passion building. They still didn't speak much past the moans and small cries of pleasure. They moved together and even if it happened to be the first time it felt like the dance they long ago perfected finally had the perfect ending.

But after it was over, when her phone rang calling her home, she finally had to admit it was cheating. It couldn't be anything else. Still she told herself she wasn't second fiddle. At least on Tuesdays she wasn't.

Because she used the pill they never overly worried about condoms. Sometimes they used one, sometimes they didn't. Then she got strep throat and went on antibiotics making the birth control more likely to be ineffective. So she couldn't be too surprised when the test showed positive. She stared at the little pink line wondering what she would do now. Soon she could leave, go to the college that accepted her in a few months she could leave without telling a soul about the child growing inside her.

She never told him. Only he could be the father, he took her virginity and he was the only man she had been with. Instead next Tuesday after they both came in cries of passion she asked him if he would ever leave _her_.

"I can't, not now." He said as he ran his fingers through his short hair. A movement she herself had done so many times before had done a few moments before.

She nodded mutely and turned back on her side to cuddle into him. Her choice was made, she would hold him the few more times she had left, and then she would be gone.

So she left without saying a word to anyone. Her new roommate found out when her loose cloths could no longer hide her figure. Her roommate took her shopping, helped satisfy her cravings, held her hair while she puked and her hand in labor.

When she held her daughter for the first time she wondered what she would tell her when her baby girl asked why she had no father. Would she say it was because she was selfish, that she couldn't play second fiddle anymore? Would she say she just couldn't do it anymore? Watch her daddy be with someone else and only come to her on Tuesdays?

Years passed and her baby girl was now seven years old when a knock on the door came. She opened it to find him in her door way and she knew, if he asked, she would play second fiddle again. She sighed deep in her chest and held open the door to let him in.


	2. Someday

**a/n so i changed this story into a series of one shots. they might co interact at some points they might not. as with the first installment (just friends) this is something that happened to me. actually this happened to me two nights ago. i obviously changed somethings to make it fit this but everything from the "she" point of view is my thoughts from that time. this is another puck and rachel story but in this one Puck kept Beth instead of giving her up for adoption. in this story beth is one year nine months old- same age as my friends daughter. i'm experimenting with this style of writing- not using names- so please give me some feedback. enjoy. **

_**Someday **_

He didn't touch her while they slept. That was the first thing she noticed when a small noise woke her. Normally if she fell asleep with him his arm ended up around her waist or behind her head. For a moment she wondered where she was. She swiped her eyes around the room without moving her body. She took in the futon she laid on and the TV across from her. The light from the hall illuminated a small path into the room. Sleep cleared from her head and she remembered that she had come over to his house. The same noise that woke her up sounded again. The toddler. Quietly easing herself out of the bed she left the room and walked down the short hallway. Entering a different room she looked into the crib. A small almost two year old girl laid sleeping, tossing and turning slightly. When the child started to whimper she scooped her up into her arms. For several minutes she stood in the small room rocking the child back and forth in her arms. After the child settled down and fell back into a peaceful sleep she laid her back down in the crib. Soon the crib would be replaced by a twin bed and the toddler would become a young girl, than a teenager but not tonight. Tonight the little girl was small enough to cradle in her arms and rock to sleep while singing a soft lullaby. After settling the two year old she left the little girl's room, climbed over the child safety gate at the top of the stairs and crept down to the bathroom. She completed her business and washed her hands. She glanced in the mirror to take in her sleep tousled hair. She slunk back up the stairs as she thought about the night.

After working out she stopped by. She was greeted by a cheerful toddler and her smiling father. The trio went up stairs to the small three roomed second floor where he and his daughter lived. The girl child grabbed her hand and pulled her into the small entertainment room where Shrek 4 was playing. She sat on the futon with the child and the young father and watched. She played catch with the girl, changed her diaper and cuddled her close. She loved the young girl and considered the father a close friend. When the movie ended and bedtime came the girl climbed in her lap. The toddler grabbed her face in small hands and pulled the eighteen year old girl close. The two year old kissed the young woman and said 'nigh nigh mama.'

Stunned at first she hadn't replied, just glanced over at the two year olds father. His faced showed his own shock. When she first learned to speak the toddler called everyone mom but left off the habit a few months ago.

"No, not mommy." She corrected, not knowing what else to do.

He scooped his daughter up in his arms, taking her to his bedroom. She followed and watched him lay his baby girl to bed. He quietly sang to her. She fussed a bit.

"Ah crap." He said, "I forgot her juice down stairs. I'll be right back."

Once he left the room she walked in, picking up the lullaby where he left off. She placed her hand on the child's stomach and began to rub like she remembered reading in a child raising article once while she sat in the doctor's office. The motion was supposed to help soothe the child. It seemed to work. The two year old cocked her head to the side and stared at the young woman above her.

"Mama," she chirped happily.

She froze again, her hand stopping her motion. She heard the stairs creak as the girl's young nineteen year old father came back up.

He gave his daughter her juice. She grabbed the cup happily and started to suck forcefully. The two young adults glanced at each other, identical smiles on their faces. They turned together and both left the room at the same time. Walking back to the TV room he turned to face her.

"Grown up movie time?" he asked.

She nodded in reply. Eventually one movie had turned into two and after the second they lay side by side and talked. Their shoulders grazed each other and at one time his arm lay behind her, cushioning her head. Eventually they nodded off into sleep. Still side by side.

Coming back up the stairs she reentered the TV room. For a moment she just stared at him. Watching him sleep. He looked more peaceful in sleep. She crawled next to him again and lay down. She began to nod off again. Before she completely slipped back into the darkness of slumber she felt his hand slide once through her hair and his lips press a small kiss to the top of her head. But still he didn't touch her. She slipped into sleeps peaceful grasp with a small content smile on her face even as confusion burrowed deep in her mind.

He woke when he felt the mattress of the futon shift as she moved her weight from his side. He kept his eyes closed not wanting to startle her. Letting his ears send messages to his brain he heard her small footsteps walk down the hall and to his daughter's room. He heard the two year old fuss quietly and was about to rise and go to his little baby girl when he heard the young woman's voice start to coo a lullaby. He lay as if frozen in stone listening. After several minutes he heard the stairs creak as she went down the stairs. He thought back to when his daughter called her mom. Not once but twice. He was fairly positive she didn't know he heard the second time. He smiled to himself as he remembered the shocked look on her face. Not knowing what to do. Thinking back he had to admit to himself that he didn't mind hearing his daughter say that. But that couldn't be right. They were friends nothing else. Either way he had been careful for the rest of the night to keep a slight physical distance as his mind reeled off thought after thought.

Someday he wanted to find his daughter a step mom. Someday. She possessed all of the qualities he someday wanted to find. She was smart, ambitious, and funny, she loved his daughter and she even called out his bull shit. Personality aside she wasn't bad looking either. Heck she was exactly the woman she wanted to find someday. But not yet. He just got settled with his daughter, besides she was only eighteen. Sure he was only a year older but he had gotten himself into this situation through his own actions. He didn't regret it. He loved his daughter more than anything. His main thought about finding someone right now is what girl even close to his age would get involved with a guy with a kid. He didn't want to put her into a position like that.

He heard her feet padding up the stairs again; check on his daughter one more time. He fell back into his the same position as when she left. He heard her stop in the door way for a moment before crawling back beside him. He wanted to pull her close and hold her to his chest. To shroud her in his strong arms. She was so small that he thought that he could completely surround her with his body and hold both her and his daughter safe.

He couldn't give into that urge, not yet. He let himself run a hand in her hair and press a soft kiss into the silky locks. He watched her smile contently and burrow down deeper into the blankets.

Maybe someday they would be more than just friends. Maybe someday his daughter would call her mama and it would be true. But for now he could be content with this. Just watching her sleep and watching his daughter grow.


	3. someday pt 2

**a/n so this can be a continuation of the last chapter or a stand alone. its purely his thoughts. please please review. if there's any situation you want in this story pm me or leave it in comments. and it can be for any character. this is mostly puck and rachel right now but hey i can branch out. let me know what you want!**

He knew he wanted her. Damn just look at her. She was beautiful. No one needed to point that out to him. But she was his friends ex and he wasn't about to lie she was a bit of a handful. She knew exactly what she wanted out of her life and she wasn't afraid to go get it. He also knew what he wanted and he how he wanted to get it. He didn't want to hold her back. His baby girl was the best thing in his life but he knew how the world worked. The number of eighteen year old girls who wanted to get involved with a guy who had a kid were far and few between. They were friends first. She helped him so much after his daughter was born, now was not the time to go and mess it up. He would start school in the fall again and so would she. After he finished university and got a job he could figure out about a stepmom for his daughter. Maybe, someday at least. At least he didn't have to worry her real mom doing anything, she gave up all parental rights the day the baby girl was born.

Besides, shit, he wasn't exactly the smartest tool in the tool box. He fucked up, a lot. Hell he wrote the book on fuckin' up. He loved his daughter but screwing her mother? Not his best choice in life, not even close. He knew he was a good dad; he worked damn hard to be one. But a kid growing up with a dad as young as he was? Well it sure didn't make shit any easier. Thank god for her. And the rest of his friends. Mostly her thought. A week after his daughter was born she came to him with a spread sheet of paper.

"What the fuck is this?" had been his oh so eloquent answer. (So he listened to her big words sometime, shut up.)

"A schedule," She answered, ignoring his bad language, "it shows when any of the rest of us are free for you to call for help any day of the week. As you can see, I can help out any day after five and Mondays and Fridays right after school. We also put all our various contact information and important details. I also found the names of several other reliable sitters in case one us is unable to come to your aid. I used the private eye Daddy keeps on retainer to check out his less than scrupulous clients and witnesses. I'm not sure if that's ethical but I figured what Daddy doesn't know won't hurt him."

He was torn between kissing her for this or laughing at the preoccupied worry on her face at the thought that she might have done something bad. Either way that damn list saved his ass more than once. He had to get a better job so he could support his daughter. Her dads helped him get a decent job cleaning some of the downtown offices. Course that meant he generally started at six once things were closing down and got off at eleven or later. At least three times a week she was at his house. Hell she was the reason he managed to do as well in school his sr year was because while he was at work she would correct his homework. Hell he even started going to math. Turns out he's pretty good at it.

And damn if she wasn't persistent. Right after his daughter turned one she started bringing over college applications. At first he refused. Hell he couldn't afford college. He told her this. She just reached in her bag and pulled out a matching stack of scholarship applications. For a solid week he refused still, for really no other reason than that he was stubborn. Bad idea on his part. She was just more stubborn. She brought job brochures, college brochures, threatened to get his mother involved, even call his grandmother and no matter how big of a BAMF he was, the idea of his Nana Connie and mother teaming up on him scared him shitless. So he filled them up. Looked at the brochures, found scholarships that applied to him. Hell there was even a bunch for single dads. He even listened to her twenty minute rant at how lopsided the scholarships for single dads to single moms were. And he really listened to her, instead of just watching how her chest rose up and down and became flushed when she got mad or how her pacing made her skirts twitch appealingly.

If she ever asked him about this he would deny deny deny. Plead the fifth or some shit. But yeah, he thought about her naked. He didn't know which of his glee guy friends hadn't. It didn't help that she was still a virgin; yeah it made him damn happy that his best friend never go into that skirt. More than once he woke up with morning wood after a particularly spicy dream about him being the first guy to make her fall apart under his hands. In his dreams she was this mix of innocent and minx. A fucking temptress who would blush as she screamed. Damn if those thoughts didn't make concentrating an extremely difficult task.

But even so with all of that aside they were just friends. They saw each other at temple. Hung out with his daughter or his sister or her dads or their friends. He could talk to her about shit it seemed like she could talk to him to. Other people thought she was an open book, and she was about a lot of things. But he knew better. With a lot of the important stuff she played close to the vest. The shit that went down with her mom toughened her up. When she had been with his best friend she thought that all those ups and downs were normal and she had to not only feel them but show them. After all it would all work out in the end and he didn't mean to hurt her. Her mom taught her that sometimes people just hurt you. That it didn't always work out. He didn't know whether he should thank her mom for that lesson or hate her. Either way he was damn sure that what happened with her mom is what led her to finally ending thing with his best friend. Yeah he loved the oaf in a brotherly type of way but come on man that shit was fucked up between them. Yeah relationships had their ups and downs. But not like that man. Any guy should make sure his girl never questions that he cares about her. Even when he's mad. Sure he himself wasn't the poster boy for long term relationships but he didn't cheat. Except for that one night. Cougars didn't count.

But again that didn't matter because they were just friends. Maybe someday that would change. He wouldn't admit it but he really wanted that to change but something kept telling him now wasn't the time. That she had to learn how to be on her own first. Then he would have a chance. Show her that he knew she could be on her own and be happy but that he wanted to be with her. Make her happy. He just had to wait for someday.


	4. Using

**a/n this is the first one shot that has not been a personal experience or tied to a personal experience of mine. I like how this one turned out though. I wasn't sure what these two characters would do when I started writing this but I like where they took me. Hope you agree. Read and Review and enjoy. :)**

She knew she was using him. The moral part of her yelled at her the entire time. She wasn't that girl, the girl that used men when she wanted them and then ditched them when she didn't. At least that's the mantra she repeated to herself on the drive over to his house and on the drive back and even while he was inside her. She tried to assure herself, he was using her two. She tried blaming _him_, the ex- boyfriend, the complicated situtuation, the- she didn't even have a word for it. Surprising considering her large vocabulary, she had several words for everything. But she was also very honest with herself. It wasn't his fault. Maybe he had been the catalyst that drove her to this boy's bed but it was her choice. She might not be proud of it now and she sure as hell wouldn't be in the morning but she pushed those feelings aside.

She knocked forcefully on his door, knowing he would be the only person in the silent house. It sickened her a bit that she knew his families schedule like this. Maybe pathetic was a better word. Who knew. The point was she was there and they both knew why.

When he opened the door for a moment his face hardened and softened before becoming something that she couldn't quite name. Still he stared at her, appraising her almost but there was no judgment in his gaze. That reassured her some. That maybe what she was doing wasn't quite so horrible, not quite so deceitful. Lies she told herself, lies she knew she told herself, lies she let herself believe.

He took her hand and led her threw the kitchen, small living room where the old ancient TV sat and up the stairs. He brought her into his bedroom, walked over to the TV there and put an old movie in. For several moments they just sat on the bed pretending that this was why she was there. To innocently watch old chick flicks with a friend. But he wasn't just a friend. No he was her other complication, her dirty little secret. The one she would go to her grave before admitting.

She almost had the strength to walk out. Even made it to the bedroom door. Her hand resting for a moment on the knob. She might have made it out, turned away before adding to her shame. But she didn't. She turned back and looked at him, saw the mix of pain, dejection, acceptance and hope on his face. There were other emotions written there. Many that she refused to name and she knew those emotions were mirrored on her own face. Her pause was long enough for him to rise from the bed and cross over to where she stood.

He lifted her hand and cupped her face gently. His calloused hands rough yet gentle on her smooth skin. She tilted her head into his hand as her own slid off the doorknob. He cupped her face as he kissed her softly.

But that wasn't what she came here for. Not for softness or kindness. So she took his lower lip in her mouth. First just sucking gently and then biting down more than a bit less gentle. He knew what she wanted and damn if he couldn't not give it to her.

He angled his body differently turned her so she was pushed against the closed door. He stepped in even closer pressing his body flush against hers. He kissed her harder, bordering on rough. Because that's what she wanted. She came here for her own reasons. He didn't need to know. He gave her what she wanted for his own reasons he didn't need to analyze.

Her hands roamed up and down his back her nails slipping under the soft fabric of his tee shirt dragging up his back as she slipped it off and threw the it across the room. Her nails continued to work patterns down his back, up his arms around the line where his jeans encircled his waist.

He felt his erection grow as she ran her lips down his neck and over his collar bone.

He turned her around, netting his hand into her long hair. Brought her to the bed and shoved her skirt up her hips and made quick work of getting rid of her shirt and under-things. He quick grabbed a condom, rolling it on with a practiced movement. He quickly took advantage of her flexibility and her dancers body. Yanking her leg over his shoulder he pounded into her as he pressed sloppy kisses to her skin.

They both came quickly. Each knew exactly the right places to touch to get the other off. After they finished they just lay next to each to each other not quite touching.

He thought about asking her why she came but he knew the answer. Knew that as he lay on top of her she thought about a larger boy with a normal hair cut. One who was more than a bit thick at times but generally had a good heart. He knew that she thought of his best friend while he replaced her blonde locks with brunette in his mind. While he made her scream he imagined that it was a different voice that called his name.

He knew that even as they sought their meaningless comfort in each other they both truly ached for the ones they really wanted. The one's that in the end had maybe once been something more but now… now were just friends.

But still he asked. More to confirm what he knew than anything else.

"Quinn, why are you here? Why do you keep coming?" his voice breaking the peace of the silence.

"Same reason you keep opening the door Puck. We're just two lonely people who are too damn afraid to fight for what we want anymore. We're just friends seeking meaningless physical comfort."

They fell back into silence both knowing what she said was true.

They were after all just friends.


	5. stay

**a/n so i know it's been forever. or close enough to. now for those who thought last chapter was a bit to mature... Don't read this one. It is very sexual and rather dark. if you dont like that skip this chapter it'll make you feel better about yourself. The song used is Stay by Sugarland and I own nothing. Please leave your opinion, I was in a funk when I wrote this.**

_I've been sitting here staring at the clock on the wall__  
><em>_And I've been laying here praying, praying she won't call__  
><em>_It's just another call from home__  
><em>_And you'll get it and be gone__  
><em>_And I'll be crying…__  
><em>

It started when she was sixteen. At first it was a subtle look every now and then. Then it was how long he left his hand on hers, or a not so subtle look. They both denied it. During the day at least. But she still stayed strong. After all she wasn't cheating on her boyfriend, he wasn't cheating on his girlfriend as long as they didn't have sex.

She stayed strong. Until she turned eighteen. That summer for the first time in a long time they were both single, together at the same time. And it exploded.

They never once talked about love, or feelings or emotions or anything lasting longer than the day she left for New York and he left for Pennsylvania. They didn't lie to each other or pretend it was anything more than what it was.

Whatever the hell it was.

When she looked back on that summer all she could remember was how she snuck out every night to meet him in the park. In the bed of his pickup truck they would tear each other's cloths off without the pretence of gentleness or tenderness. Every time he would make sure she came and then he would join her. Putting his own horse cries out into the air.

But that's all there was.

For both of them.

_And I'll be begging you, baby__  
><em>_Beg you not to leave__  
><em>_But I'll be left here waiting__  
><em>

When she left she honestly thought she was free of the addiction of him. She didn't love him. Not like that. Hell half the time she'd go as far as to say part of her hated him. But she knows how thin the lines between love and hate, between desire and obsession are. But all that aside she still needed him.

She thought leaving would free her of that.

_With my Heart on my sleeve__  
><em>_Oh, for the next time we'll be here__  
><em>_Seems like a million years__  
><em>_And I think I'm dying__  
><em>

When he left he figured it was done. Hell he didn't love her. At least not like that, not enough. She was like a really really good bottle of Jack. Great during the night but hell to pay the next morning. Yet she kept him coming back. To the point where he would almost beg her for more.

He figured it was pretty twisted.

He thought leaving would figure him out.

_What do I have to do to make you see__  
><em>_She can't love you like me?_

They saw each other again over Christmas break and hell they were both still single. They figured what the hell. They both were leaving again anyway why not have some fun while trapped in their home town.

They should have known better.

At the end he almost, almost asked her to stay.

At the end she almost, almost would have stayed.

_Why don't you stay__  
><em>_I'm down on my knees__  
><em>

It happened again and again. They talked some when they were at school. Once or twice they even visited each other. But they were always honest with each other. They knew that what they had, what they were doing wasn't love. It was to twisted to be that. It was passionate, wild, rough, crazy- it was a lot of things but it wasn't love. They didn't waste the time to pretend otherwise

"I don't love you." She stated once they were done one night.

"I know," he replied, "but damn it babe you need this just as much as I do."

And the truth was she did. Even though the nights with him often left hand shaped bruises on her hips and scratch marks on his back they both needed it.

Every now and then though they tried to pretend it was something more. It made them feel that whatever they were doing wasn't quite so wrong.

So sometimes he would ask her to stay. And sometimes she would say yes.

_Why don't you stay__  
><em>_I'm down on my knees__  
><em>_I'm so tired of being lonely__  
><em>_Don't I give you what you need__  
><em>

They met other people. Even fell in love with other people. But still they kept coming back. They finally admitted maybe they loved each other. (Hell he moved to New York when he got the job offer, he had others closer.) But it wasn't the kind of love where you buy a white picket fence and raise two point five children. Not it was the passionate love that tears you apart and leaves you bleeding. So they were with other people but they kept coming back to each other.

_Why don't you stay__  
><em>_I'm down on my knees__  
><em>_I'm so tired of being lonely__  
><em>_Don't I give you what you need__  
><em>

He watched as she sat up in the bed, the blankets falling from her upper body to pool around her waist. Her back turned to him as she grabbed her dress from the floor and pulled the material over her head. He smiled in appreciation as the contours of her back shimmied and moved to adjust the silky material. He sat up himself and reached over to her. As he wrapped his hands around her waist he pressed a warm kiss to her shoulder blade.

"Stop that, zip me up. We both know I have to go." She demanded.

He moved a couple of inches back taking the time to really appreciate how her curly brown hair fell down to the center of her exposed back. He reached for the zipper located near her ass and pulled it up slowly, letting his hands glide over her curves.

She got off the bed and started to move around, locating the rest of her things. Her thong, shoes, purse everything else she needed to return home.

"Stay." He said without thinking.

She laughed thinking he was joking. They both knew that one of them would always leave.

"No, seriously, stay." He said, "Rach, just stay this time. Maybe we should just fucking stay. You love me and I love you. Why shouldn't we just fucking be together." He was mostly serious. He was getting tired of their dance and knew he could never stop it.

She turned to him her eyes cynical and slightly cold.

"You don't love me Noah. I don't love you. Not like that. I need you. Want you. Need this. We both know that. You love her Noah. And she'll be back soon." She turned around again to continue gathering her things.

"She knows something's up. Mentioned it the other night." He said.

She didn't turn around. She walked all the way to the door before she paused and turned.

"She might. But she'll stay. You love her Noah. I love him. He knows something's up too. But in the end it doesn't really matter does it? We love them but for reasons God only knows we always come back to this. I'm a smart girl Noah despite all evidence. You don't love me but you always come back. I don't love you but I always open the door. That's how it is with us. Its not going to change if I stay and she comes home to find me tangled in your sheets. So please don't insult me by asking me to stay. We both know that's not what we want."

She turned and left. Noah lay on his bed for a bit longer before getting up to shower.

While standing under the luke warm water all he could think about how sick and twisted Rachel made it sound.

What was worse is she was right.

He'd never really ask her to stay. And she never would.

_Why don't you stay__  
><em>_I'm down on my knees__  
><em>_I'm so tired of being lonely__  
><em>_Don't I give you what you need__  
><em>_When she calls you to go__  
><em>_There is one thing you should know__  
><em>_We don't have to live this way__  
><em>_Baby, why don't you stay_


End file.
